15/05-2008

SERBIA
Broadcast from Serbia, Sun 18th May - 1660 kHz! We are on air on Radio Vihor, Pancevo! Try us!
I will be in Serbia, in Belgrade, between 18th - 26th of May with my friend Jim. We will visit many legal FM-stations during the week in countryside around Belgrade.
We will also be on the air on Radio Vihor (from Pancevo, 25 km NE from Belgrade) on Sunday evening. We will have one hour broadcast with Serbian pirate-guys and will play Serbian and Finnish music.
The broadcast will be on Sunday 18.5.2008 on 1650, 1660 or 1670 kHz with 1 kW. We start at 22.00 Central European Time (20.00 UTC) and close at 23.00 CET. I hope some frequency will be free. We will take prepaid GSM for callings and SMS to live transmission.
All reports of this special broadcast can be sent to Radio Vihor, P.O.Box 1104, 8001BC Zwolle, Holland (This P.O.Box belongs to Radio Bluebird who has been in QSO with Serbians before). Please enclose one IRC for Special-QSL. There will be no e-mail-box.
Best 73, Harri Kujala via Jim Solatie, MWDX (15/5-2008)

U K
LPAM: Member Ken Lancaster telephoned me today to say that "Hospital Broadcasting Services" (HBS) 1431 kHz Sheffield is on air. The station commenced 1430 hours 3 May 2008 and covers three hospitals. The studio is located at Royal Hallam, the tx is at the Northern General and they also broadcast to Western Park Hospital.The station is on air 24/7
73's John Williams via MWC (10/5-2008)

U S A
1680 WOKB Winter Garden FL. New calls ex WLAA. Format flips from Spanish to Gospel Music. ID now runs “WOKB Winter Garden Orlando and WKIQ Eustis Leesburg.” Station slogan “The all new smooth sounds of gospel on 16-80 AM.”
Source: ABDX via Barry Davies via MWC (9/5-2008)

08/05-2008

CANADA
CKPT-AM 1420 kHz in Peterborough, Ontario, is the latest Canadian AM station to sign off for good. The station became 99.3 Energy FM last August, and has been simulcasting on AM since then. Last year, Peterborough's remaining AM station, 980 CKRU, applied to also move to FM. Nearly a dozen other applicants are also seeking Peterborough's available FM frequency. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is expected to choose an applicant soon.
Read the full story in the Peterborough Examiner
http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1016474
Andy, Media Network blog via DXLD yg via Steve Whitt, MWC (8/5-2008)

05/05-2008

U K
Hospital Broadcasting Sheffield in the UK launched on 1431 AM.
A new hospital radio station in the United Kingdom has begun broadcasting on 1431 kHz mediumwave. Hospital Broadcasting Sheffield (HBS) has been on the air for over 30 years, but aired its first AM broadcast on May 3, 2008. Programming runs 24/7 and consists of request shows, specialist music shows, live sports programs and hourly news reports. The low-power transmitter is meant to cover the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, the Northern General Hospital and Weston Park Hospital, in Sheffield in the United Kingdom. You can contact the station by writing to:
Hospital Broadcasting Sheffield, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Glossop Road, Sheffield, England S10 2JF, or by calling at (0114) 271-271-9. News about HBS Radio was first published by Sheffield forum website and by Alan Pennington on BDXC mailing list on May 2.
DXing.info May 4, 2008 (5/5-2008)

GERMANY
As from May 5th Bavarian Open Radio (729/801 khz) will be named as on3radio
on3radio@br-online.de
Peter Kruse via mwdx yg(2/5-2008)

BRAZIL
Atualizacao da lista de emissoras brasileiras OM/OT/OC - Versao 20080428.01
MW/SW brasilian radio stations update - Version  20080428.01
http://www.dxclube.com.br/arquivos_lista_br.html

Nova denominacao:
New denomination:
CAPITAL 1350 kHZ, Rio Branco-AC
SOCIEDADE CERES 690kHZ , CERES-GO
TUPI 640KHZ, LONDRINA-PR
CULTURA JOVEM PAN 1250kHZ , JOINVILLE, SC
 
Atualizada as Redes:
Updated radio networks:
BAND - Bandeirantes
IURD -  Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus
GLO  -  Globo
JP - Jovem Pan
 
Novos links na WEB:
News Web links:
1400 Khz, ESPINHARAS AM, Patos-PB
1060 Khz, EVANGELIZAR AM , Curitiba-PR   
1350 kHZ, CAPITAL,  Rio Branco-AC
930kHZ, BOAS NOVAS, Manaus-AM
1300kHZ, IRACEMA, Fortaleza-CE
1050 kHZ, CAPIXABA,  Vitoria-ES
690kHZ , SOCIEDADE CERES, CERES-GO
1180kHZ, CAPITAL,  S. LUIS-MA
1160KHZ, VOZ DO OESTE, CUIABA-MT
1120 kHZ, CONCORDIA, CAMPO GRANDE-MS
880 KHZ , ITAI, GUAIBA-RS
1330KHZ , ELDORADO, NATAL-RN 
660 kHZ, RBN , PORTO VELHO, ro
890 kHZ, SANTA CATARINA, FLORIANAPOLIS-SC
1250 Khz, CULTURA, JOINVILLE-SC
790 Khz, RIO PARDO AM, RIO PARDO-RS
950 Khz, VALE, TIJUCAS-SC
1180 Khz, MUNDIAL AM, RIO DE JANEIRO-RJ   
Colabore enviando as suas informacoes para:  marcelo@bedene.com.br
Help us sending your informations to: marcelo@bedene.com.br  
 
73 EQUIPE DO DX CLUBE DO PARANA, CURITIBA-PR-BRASIL www.dxclube.com.br via Marcelo Bedene (2/5-2008)

01/05-2008

U K
Red Sands Radio [1278 kHz?] : "We're Back 4th & 13th July 2008".
Details at http://www.bobleroi.co.uk/Announcements/Announcements.html
Mike Terry via dxld yg (30/4-2008)

26/04-2008

U S A
Lighthouse group proposes radio station.
A new radio station may come to Ludington with the city owning the license and local lighthouse keepers arranging for the service.
The Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association is asking the city to apply for a 10-year license from the Federal Communications Commission to operate an AM station at the Ludington Water Treatment Plant.
The station would repeatedly broadcast prerecorded messages notifying residents and visitors of special events, historical information, emergencies or weather-related information, according to Ludington City Manager John Shay.
The lighthouse keepers, who manage the Big Sable, Little Sable and Ludington North lighthouses, have contracted with Information Service Specialists (ISS) to operate the radio station, according to Shay, who recommends the council approve an agreement between the city and ISS. According to a 10-year contract drafted by City Attorney Roger Anderson, the operator would be responsible for the station’s operation and costs, including any costs associated with applying for the FCC license.
The broadcasting equipment would be installed at the city’s water plant on the Lake Michigan shoreline, including an antenna on the building’s roof.
Either party may terminate the agreement with a six-month notice. The issue is scheduled to come to the city council at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Kevin Braciszeski, Ludington Daily News Staff Writer (26/4-2008)

23/04-2008

GREECE
Last night, I was just fortunated enough to be up and hear Crete at 1512 Khz with a nice National anthem and Greek music with what appears to be religious spoken content in Greek. All happened around 23:00 local (03:00 UTC) at transmitter grayline sunrise period.I prepaired a four minutes clip:
http://pages.globetrotter.net/esnaud/mp3/greece_crete.mp3
Reception lasted more than ten minutes with good peaks. Caught with my Icom R75, a 950 footer beverage (290 meters) at 55 degrees and the MFJ-1026 working on 1510.
Sylvain Naud, Portneuf, QC Canada via MWDX (23/4-2008)

CROATIA
I was informed by OIV, that the mediumwave transmitter of Radio Osijek on 1557 kHz was switched off too.
73, Patrick Robic (23/4-2008)

NETHERLANDS
Hi Ydun, the 20 KW 828Khz transmitter in Heyenoord has been reactivated in preparation for a new radio station 'Arrow Talk'. This is the same company who own Arrow Classic Rock and Arrow Jazz. The current test transmissions on 828Khz are relaying Arrow Classic Rock's FM programming. The signal here in Cambridgeshire UK is fair despite local co-channel interference.
Regards, Giles (23/4-2008)

22/04-2008

CHANNEL ISLANDS
Local elections in Guernsey will be held this wednesday 23 April and normally BBC Radio Guernsey  extend local broadcasting late into the evening, usually past local midnight.
MW  Freq is 1116 kHz.
Regards Lionel Roithmeir via MWC (22/4-2008)

21/04-2008

CROATIA
Hi Ydun!
My observation were verified today by the transmitter operator OIV, that the mediumwave frequencies 774 kHz / 783 kHz / 1125 kHz and 1143 kHz were closed down. So the only remaining mediumwave frequencies for Glas Hrvatske are 1134 kHz (1250-0530 UTC) and 594 kHz in DRM (0700-1500 UTC).
73, Patrick Robic, Austria (21/4-2008)

20/04-2008

FRANCE
Littoral AM Tests: Surprised at their AM signal this evening on 1593 ... punching through WDR's DRM quite nicely.
On the littoralam.fr website they say they use 50 kW daytime and 5 kW evenings/nights.
Don't understand why they then annouce the http://www.radionumerique-bretagne.com
website on-air as it's such a mouthful.
But at least on that website you can send them a reception report online (en français).
Mark Hattam via MWC (20/4-2008)

18/04-2008

INDIA & BANGLADESH
These press releases [see this page under April 16th items/ed] are infuriating in leaving out essential details, and trying to mislead.
There is already MW in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep on 1584 kHz per WRTH 2008. It may just be a relay now with no local content, but you don`t necessarily have to buy a new Thomson transmitter in order to have local programming.
As for Bangladesh --- ?? The first graf refers to 1000 kW transmitters (plural), but the rest of the story is about ONE transmitter. There is a slight difference. WTFK?! The present listed 1000 kW transmitter is Dhaka-A on 693 kHz. Is this to replace it? Something wrong with it? I don`t see the name Dhamrai in WRTH listings as a transmitter site or anything else.
Furthermore, the Lakshadweep Islands (a.k.a. Laccadive), are about as far as you can get from Northeast India mentioned in the release: off the southwest coast.
73, Glenn Hauser via MWC (17/4-2008)

17/04-2008

FRANCE
Hi Dave,  Thanks a lot for your comments, for the moment we’ve not a website in english but we’ll translate it in english later! You can have some informations on Littoral AM test on the Transradio website! I give you the link:  
http://www.broadcast-transradio.com/DRM_TRAIL_LITTORAL_ENGL.pdf
We broadcast in DRM mode monday, tuesday and friday - 5H5O am to 7H05 pm UTC, wednesday to thursday – 5H50 am UTC (wednesday) to 7H05 pm UTC (thursday). We broadcast in AM mode 1593 kHz - saturday to sunday (and the night of saturday to sunday) – 6H50 am to 5H05 pm UTC.
We’ll send you a QSL of Littoral AM  following the sending of your reception report!
www.littoralam.fr www.radionumerique-bretagne.com
http://littoralinfo.over-blog.com  
Adress: Littoral AM
La Chaumière
F-22120 Pommeret France
Best Regards Frederic Guyon Technical Manager f.guyon@littoralam.fr via David Towers via MWC (17/4-2008)

16/04-2008

NETHERLANDS
To mark Liberation Day in the Netherlands (Monday 5 May), Dutch public broadcaster Radio 5 will broadcast as Radio Oranje between 0500 and 1700 UTC on 747 kHz. Radio Oranje was the Dutch station that broadcast from London during the Nazi occupation of the country.
Radio 5, which is aimed at the 50-plussers, is asking its listeners for their memories and interesting stories from 5 May 1945 to be included in the programme. Music will be played from original 78 rpm records by artists such as Glenn Miller, Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters, as well as Dutch artists popular at the time.
Source: RadioVisie.nl via Media Network weblog via Andy via MWC (16/4-2008)

GERMANY
AFN: Auf UKW 98,7 "The Eagle" läuft trotzdem weiterhin eine Ansage, wonach die Mittelwelle "a facelift" erhalte und bis dahin nur mit einem Drittel der Leistung sende.
http://hessen.afneurope.net/
meldet, die Arbeiten an der Mittelwelle 873 kHz dauerten bis September an.

AFN "Eagle" Alert:
"AFN Hessen's AM 873 Power Network transmitter is experiencing a degraded signal due to on-going repairs and upgrades. The transmitter will broadcast at one-third of its normal power until the work is completed in September. Brief and unscheduled outages can also be expected. Please stay tuned to AFN-The Eagle FM 98.7 for further updates. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience".
Jürgen Fenn via Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany via mwdx (16/4-2008)

GERMANY
DLF 153 kHz OFF air 16 to 19 April, 0610 to 1800 UT.
Auf http://www.dradio.de/dlf/vorschau/ 08:10 Uhr Senderabschaltung. Der Sender Donebach auf LW 153 kHz wird bis zum 19.04. von 8:10 Uhr bis 20:00 Uhr abgeschaltet.
Seit November 2007 ist die T-systems Media/Broadcast GmbH dort am DRM werkeln.
Gelegenheit die Langwelle Kronstadt Bod aus Rumänien zu hören.
Wolfgang Bueschel, Germany via mwdx (16/4-2008)

INDIA
Thomson M2W Transmitter used by All India Radio for Broadcast of First Local Radio Programs to Lakshadweep.
All India Radio (AIR) has selected Thomson's (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) M2W medium-wave transmitters for the launch of the first local radio channels to India's Lakshadweep Islands. The new service will go on air during 2008. Thomson's M2W 10kW medium-wave transmitters, already in use at AIR stations all over India, will now be used to broadcast the first local content from Kavarati radio station throughout the Lakshadweep Islands.
AIR is India's national broadcaster and has one of the largest radio networks in the world, covering over 99% of the Indian population. The Lakshadweep project falls under a special program driven by the Government of India for the development of the North Eastern region. The economy and infrastructure of the entire North East region is lagging far behind the rest of the country and the government is providing a booster for this.
The Lakshadweep medium-wave project marks a new milestone in the successful cooperation between Thomson and Broadcast Engineering Corporation India Limited (BECIL), who are supplying the auxiliary items for the transmitter.
In spite of recent penetration by other media such as cable TV, radio remains the most common means of gaining access to information and entertainment in India, as radio receivers are relatively cheap and affordable.
"Local public service broadcasting is an important cornerstone in our mandate to educate, inform and entertain. The ability to generate local programs will encourage the people on the islands to participate. The broadcast scenario has undergone revolutionary changes in the last few years. Medium wave broadcasting is an important platform for media distribution in India, and we are following the progress of the digitalization of the AM bands with great interest," said a senior spokesperson from AIR.
"Medium wave broadcasting is a cost-efficient alternative for local, regional or even national coverage. Thomson M2W transmitters reflect a through-and-through perfect combination of innovative technology and dedicated craftsmanship. Thanks to their high overall efficiency, this transmitter line makes a comprehensive contribution to cost-effective media implementation" said Patrick Montliaud, Senior Vice President of Thomson's Integration and Networks Solutions business unit, within the Systems division.
About M2W:
The M2W transmitter line is Thomson's answer to the needs of high quality analog and DRM performance from 10 kW to 250 kW. Built exclusively on digital processing techniques, the M2W is equipped with the advanced modulation technology and intrinsic flexibility needed for the complex modulation schemes of digital modulation techniques.
Factory equipped for digital AM, the M2W line allows broadcasters to switch modes with a simple push of a button. The compact, all-in-one modular design of the M2W line with its low life-cycle costs meets today's standards for cost-effective transmission with high reliability and availability of service. M2W transmitters come equipped with a Web interface for remote control.
About All India Radio:
AIR is India's national broadcaster and has one of the largest radio networks in the world ing service planned, developed and operated by the Prasar Bharati Broadcasting Corporation of India and is one of the largest radio networks in the world. With a network of 229 broadcasting centers, AIR covers 91.79% of the entire Indian area and 99.14% of the population.
Las Vegas - National Association of Broadcasters Convention - Booths SL106/SL2120) April 12, 2008 - via Steve Whitt, MWC (15/4-2008)

BANGLADESH
Thomson Supplies Super Power MW Transmitter for National Service Enhancement
in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Radio (BETAR) has ordered 1000 kW radio transmitters from Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) to upgrade its existing broadcast network for nationwide coverage.
As a large percentage of the Bangladesh population is located in rural areas, AM radio is very often the only way to reach and inform them. Thomson's low-power medium-wave transmitters have already been installed by BETAR radio stations across Bangladesh and the new super power transmitter from Thomson will be used to transmit and relay national radio programs throughout the country.
"Radio is the cheapest and most versatile medium for reaching out to the grass root level and is still the most widespread communication media in Bangladesh," said BETAR (Radio) Chief Engineer Shekh Ruhul Amin. "The efficiency of the new high power transmitter from Thomson will greatly increase our network efficiency meaning we will be able to use it to
broadcast to 95% of the country. In addition, thanks to its energy saving capacities, the new transmitter from Thomson will help BETAR to reduce electricity consumption".
BETAR, the Bangladesh government owned national radio network has played a pivotal role towards developing the country's information networks since its creation in 1938. This year BETAR will go on air with a powerful new 1000kW S7HP transmitter from Thomson based in its Super Power Transmitting Station at Dhamrai. The decision to chose Thomson's solutions for this strategic medium wave project was based on the transmitter's high performance,
technical compliance and compatibility with DRM (Digital Radio Mondiale) solutions.
"Thomson's 1000 kW S7HP transmitter is the only transmitter in Bangladesh through which national programs will be transmitted and relayed by other stations," said Patrick Montliaud, Senior Vice President of Thomson's Integration and Networks Solutions business unit, within the Systems division. "This transmitter will be the heart of Bangladesh BETAR (Radio) and we are proud to be the solution provider for such an important national
project."
About S7HP:
The S7HP transmitter line is Thomson's answer to the needs of high quality analog and DRM LW/MW performance from 300 kW to 1200 kW and more. Built exclusively on digital processing techniques, S7HP is equipped with the advanced modulation technology and intrinsic flexibility needed for the complex modulation schemes of digital modulation techniques. The S7HP holds the world's record for output power in DRM mode vs.
analog/PEP capability. The transmitters feature reduced floor space design combined with full access. Customers esteem the easy, low-cost installtion, operation and maintenance of this transmitter line.
Las Vegas - National Association of Broadcasters Convention - Booths SL106/SL2120) April 12, 2008 - via Steve Whitt, MWC (15/4-2008)

12/04-2008

BOOK REVIEW
"Right of the Dial" - The Rise of Clear Channel and the Fall of Commercial Radio. Alec Foege.
More in the New York Times.
Ydun Ritz (12/4-2008)

DRM
I heard DRM on 1422 during the early hours of this morning, effectively obliterating 1420.
Good DX!
John Faulkner via MWC (12/4-2008)
SR Heusweiler, alas...
http://www.drmrx.org/forum/showthread.php?p=47023
I keep wondering why they're artificially keeping alive this technology with tests currently being heard by less than 30 people all over Europe. 
How much does it cost in taxpayers' money?
73s Andrea Lawendel via MWC (12/4-2008)